White City Two-Step

{1907}


A postcard of the White City in 1908


Introduction

The White City Two-Step is an easy two-step sequence dance.

While advertised as a "new dance invented by Tom Walton" in 1907, it's really just an adaptation of Arthur Morris' earlier Veleta (1900) to two-step timing. Interestingly, Morris had already adapted the Veleta to polka time in 1905. The only major difference in steps between the two dances is that this dance has four quick chassés in Part III, while the Veleta Polka has two slow ones.

This dance is named after the White City district in London, so-called because that the buildings for the Franco-British Exhibition held there in 1908 were all painted white.


The Position

Facing partner, holding two hands.


The Dance

Part I - Promenade and Chassé Along LOD (4 bars): Promenade four steps along LOD starting outside feet (1, 2, 3, 4). Then, facing partner, slide (1), close (2), slide along LOD (3), opening up to face against LOD at the end. Unlike the Veleta, where the hands are changed at the beginning of the chassé, in this dance, the hands are changed at the end of the chassé.

Part II - Promenade and Chassé Against LOD (4 bars): Repeat opposite, traveling against LOD, and closing up to closed position at the end.

Part III - Two-Step and Quick Chassé (4 bars): One full turn of two-step (1-and-2, 3-and-4), then chassé four times along LOD (5-and-6-and-7-and-8).

Part IV - Two-Step (4 bars): Two full turns of two step (1-and-2, 3-and-4, 5-and-6, 7-and-8).

Repeat from the beginning.


The Music

Two-step music.


Sources


© 2018 Nick Enge

For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.

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